Dual layer semiconducting nanocomposite of silicon nanowire and polythiophene for organic-based field effect transistors

•A dual layer nanowire-polythiophene composite field effect transistor is proposed.•Silicon nanowires can enhance effective mobility by 6 times and reduce hysteresis.•Nanowires should be considered as a viable additive for organic transistors.

We investigate a dual layer active channel of random distributed intrinsic silicon nanowires and solution processing semiconducting polythiophene polymers for organic-based field effect transistors. Primary results show that low density silicon nanowire networks could enhance the effective charge carrier mobility of polythiophene transistors by a factor of six, suggesting that these nanowires act as rapid one-dimensional charge transport bridges in the active channel. Moreover, increasing the nanowire loading in the dual layer nanocomposite could further lessen the transistor hysteresis. The lifetime test of nanowire-polythiophene devices is found to be more sustainable with respect to that of pristine polythiophene in ambient air. These results indicate that semiconducting nanowires should be considered as a viable additive to active channel for next-generation organic field effect transistors.

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